George Leef

Posts by George Leef
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Big labor is quite adept at using the coercive power of government combined with specious arguments to obtain power and money. One aspect of that is the “free rider” argument that union spokesmen often trot out whenever workers say they don’t want to be forced to pay dues (or fees,…

Nobody does it better than Don Boudreaux. Here’s a letter of his, responding to a letter published in yesterday’s WSJ. Don’s point that the minimum wage is, in effect, a law against entrepreneurs looking for ways to employ people with low skills is irrefutable. Editor, Wall Street Journal…

During the recent debate, Senator Marco Rubio was asked about federal agricultural subsidies, especially for sugar. His answer was a disturbing one, revealing an interventionist streak. John Tamny calls Rubio out in this RealClearMarkets piece. Can he really believe that our “food security” will be in danger if we…

It is becoming increasingly common to find instances where judges and prosecutors have abused their power and in this USA Today piece, University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds discusses some recent ones. The common thread is that some Americans want to use their free speech rights to…

One of Cato Institute’s excellent features is its focus on police misconduct and in this post, Tim Lynch describes the worst case of the month. The case involves an Ohio police officer whose conduct towards a woman is absolutely despicable. After terrorizing her and claiming that he was above…

I’m referring to Puerto Rico, which just defaulted on bond payments. At fault is the same ruinous welfare state system as in Greece. Jacob Hornberger elucidates in this piece. He correctly observes that while the welfare state breeds parasitism and gradually undermines a country’s ability to produce, those who…

Apparently, entrepreneur Dan Price is going to learn a lesson the hard way. Swept up in social activism, he decided to pay his workers significantly more, ensuring that no one worked for less than $70K per year. But, as Tyler Durden points out, his kind and generous move is…

Forbes writer John Tamny (whose book Popular Economics is great reading) attempts in this piece to explain why laws that make it hard to fire a worker get in the way of hiring anyone. Demagogic politicians pretend to be friends of workers by pushing “compassionate” laws that put obstacles…